Quickie Reviews…again?

I’m kinda digging these quickie reviews. I can get more stuff covered, and give out fewer spoilers.

- Gen 13 #31: I guess I missed last month’s issue, ’cause I was kind of confused… But it wasn’t bad. The series definitely has a direction that it’s moving in, but that direction is more of a traditional team book than the quirky, fun, teenage book that the original series was. But maybe that’s what the book needs, in the current market. As a random aside, the Worldstorm Gen 13 title has now lasted about half as long as the original ongoing, and twice as long as the Herod relaunch from 2002.

- Blackest Night #2: More black lanterns! More mayhem and violence! More death! And, for once, I actually find Aquaman intimidating! Definitely sticking with this one through the end.

- Blackest Night: Batman #1: “What’s happening in Gotham during the Blackest Night?” Deadman has both been turned into a Black Lantern, and is still Deadman. But he’s gotta warn the new Batman and Robin about what’s coming! Not bad, but the cliffhanger ending makes me wish I had issue 2 right here. I might suggest waiting until all 3 issues are out, on this one.

- Green Lantern Corps #39: Blackest Night tie-in! Kyle Rayner and Guy Gardner talk about their bizarre lovelives, when the Black Power Rings zing past their heads and start resurrecting even more fallen heroes. Not as essential a tie-in as Green Lantern #44 was, but certainly nothing to scoff at.

- Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #1: Bendis has still got it! David LaFuente’s artwork is a little more cartoony than I think this series really calls for, but it’s still hard to get over Mark Bagley’s 110-issue run. Either way, this is definitely one to stick with.

- Ultimate Avengers #1: Not a bad first chapter, but this had the same effect on me as Blackest Night: Batman, where I wish I had more of the story at once. I guess that’s a good thing, really, since it means I’ll be back next month. This issue debuts the Ultimate Red Skull! OooOOOOoooo!

- Ms. Marvel #43: “War of the Marvels” continues. And the original Ms. Marvel is revealed to be… Catherine Donovan? Wait, that’s not Carol Danvers at all! I’m not sure about this alternating artist thing… I wish they’d just get Sana Takeda doing the pencils all the time.

New Avengers 52

New Avengers #52
Written by Brian Michael Bendis
Pencils by Billy Tan and Chris Bachalo
$3.99
Marvel Comics
No, everybody else is going to be talking about Detective Comics 853 this week. I won’t do it.

Well, maybe a little: Neil Gaiman and Andy Kubert’s “Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader?” is damn good. It almost makes me care about Batman, which I generally don’t. So, you should come in to Comic Zone and pick it up. We still have some second printings of part 1 (Batman 686) available, too, so you can get the whole thing at once!

But, no. Today, I’m going to talk about New Avengers #52. The quest for Earth’s new sorcerer supreme continues, as Stephen Strange (formerly Dr. Strange) comes to the New Avengers (which now consist of Captain America (Formerly Bucky), Ronin (formerly Hawkeye), Ms. Marvel (formerly of the Mighty Avengers), Wolverine (formerly not in 70 comics a month), Spider-Man (formerly had an identity even the Avengers couldn’t remember), Luke Cake (Formerly wore a tiara and a yellow disco shirt), Spider-Woman (formerly abducted by Skrulls), and Mockingbird (formerly dead)) to explain where he’s been, and about his recent run-in with Parker Robbins, a.k.a. The Hood.

The Hood, in addition to creating a criminal syndicate the size of which has never been seen in the Marvel U, has taken up as the host for some big bad demon (which I learned from the dialogue, since Chris Bachalo’s artwork mostly just looks like a muddles mess of black globs, these days — Good thing he’s only drawing the demon scenes, with Billy Tan drawing everything else), and is looking for the Eye of Agamotto (the mystic amulet dealio that is the property of Earth’s Sorcerer Supreme). But ol’ Stevie Strange won’t give up the Eye to just anybody – He’s lookin’ for the next Sorcerer Supreme, and won’t rest until he finds that individual.

So, of course, the Avengers take a trip with Dr. Strange, because they’re out looking for The Hood, and think that the team of them can take out The Hood. Even though he’s more powerful than Dr. Strange. I don’t see that ending well for anybody. Meanwhile, Madame Masque reveals her face to The Hood, and then they start making out. I’m not sure I see THAT ending well for anybody, either.

I think there may be some misdirection at the end, as the Hood finds another magic user we haven’t seen in a while, but it’s a character that I’m pretty sure is not in the running to be Earth’s Sorcerer Supreme…

Still, if you’re reading New Avengers, #52 is a worthy addition to your collection. It’s been really nice having a comic written by the same guy for more than a year, and other than Chris Bachalo, the artwork has consistently been top-notch. After all, it’s like Ultra Magnus taught us back in 1986: “Consistency is victory.”